A member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Prof. Freeman Joseph Danquah, has called on the NPP to institutionalise the 2023 and 2026 presidential elections operational guidelines as the standard regulatory framework for all internal party elections.
He also praised the efforts of the chairpersons of the 2023 and 2026 Presidential Elections Committees, Prof. Mike Oquaye and Joseph Osei-Owusu (Joe Wise) respectively, saying their approaches had significantly enhanced stakeholder confidence and set a new benchmark for internal democratic practice within the party.
He said the decisive and incontestable election of the former Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, stood as a testament to the efficacy of these guidelines and the renewed credibility of the party’s internal democratic architecture.
“It is therefore strategically imperative that these operational standards be institutionalised across all internal party elections and embedded within the party’s governance framework,” Prof. Danquah, a Senior Lecturer at the University of Bradford, UK, said in an interview.
The former TESCON Vice-President also commended members of Mr Osei-Owusu’s committee for stabilising the party, restoring confidence in its internal democratic processes, and safeguarding its unity and credibility.
Institutional independence
Prof. Danquah said in 2023, the Presidential Elections Committee, chaired by Prof. Mike Oquaye, introduced a pioneering operational framework that sought to guarantee fairness, transparency and procedural integrity.
“Despite initial resistance from some stakeholders, the committee’s approach significantly enhanced stakeholder confidence and set a new benchmark for internal democratic practice within the party.
He said building on this foundation, the Joseph Osei-Owusu committee adopted and refined these guidelines in 2026 and introduced targeted enhancements that strengthened procedural clarity, enforcement mechanisms and institutional discipline.
The result, Prof. Danquah said, was a nationwide, incident-free presidential election; widely acclaimed for its credibility, transparency, and operational excellence.
“Notwithstanding intense stakeholder pressures, agitation, and even attempts to undermine the committee, Mr Osei-Owusu and his team maintained institutional independence, upheld zero tolerance for opacity, and reaffirmed the principle that electoral legitimacy must be earned transparently and competitively,” he stated.
Campaign architecture
The former TESCON Vice-President suggested that as the party transitioned into the 2028 electoral cycle, the expertise and institutional discipline of the Joe Wise committee be integrated into the core strategic and campaign architecture of the Bawumia campaign.
“The party at this critical juncture requires principled leadership, institutional courage, and individuals who will uphold integrity over expediency,” he said.
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh